Social Problems By Bryan Stevenson: An Analysis
Human agency is defined as “rather than passively accepting structural constraints, people cope with, adapt to, and change their social situations to meet their needs” (Eitzen et al. 108). This book showed that me any individual can create change if you are devoted to it. Bryan Stevenson came out of this rural segregated town in Delaware and was able to bring cases to the supreme court to fight for justice in our judicial system. Our book, Social Problems, tells us that racial stratification is a system of inequality in which better opportunities (occupation, income, education) are afforded to whites; we learned the racial problems have structural foundations and that human agency never disappears. However, I think with more people like Bryan
eventually human agency may become extinct.
Overall, I found this book heartbreaking yet very inspiring. While reading this book I was compelled to drop everything and become a lawyer multiple times. This book makes me want to help Bryan’s cause, it makes me want to be part of the changes that are occurring/need to occur. I am always conflicted when reading stories about police because my dad was a police officer for 10 years; he now spends 6 months of the year in Washington D.C working for the National Counterterrorism Center and the FBI and 6 months in Detroit working as a supervisor at the tunnel to Canada. My dad is one of those guys who always does the right thing, he would never exploit someone in his job based on their race. For example, my dad has always voted republican, but, in this election he voted for Hilary because he knew she would move the country in the right direction; a direction away from prejudice and racism. I am certain that there are officers who manipulate minority races (as shown in numerous examples in the book) but I don’t think that every police officer should be blamed for crimes/racial profiling that some officers commit. Never the less, Just Mercy does bring up some critical issues that need to be solved in America. We need change in this country, we need to help those around us instead of throwing them in a cold metal cell.
eventually human agency may become extinct.
Overall, I found this book heartbreaking yet very inspiring. While reading this book I was compelled to drop everything and become a lawyer multiple times. This book makes me want to help Bryan’s cause, it makes me want to be part of the changes that are occurring/need to occur. I am always conflicted when reading stories about police because my dad was a police officer for 10 years; he now spends 6 months of the year in Washington D.C working for the National Counterterrorism Center and the FBI and 6 months in Detroit working as a supervisor at the tunnel to Canada. My dad is one of those guys who always does the right thing, he would never exploit someone in his job based on their race. For example, my dad has always voted republican, but, in this election he voted for Hilary because he knew she would move the country in the right direction; a direction away from prejudice and racism. I am certain that there are officers who manipulate minority races (as shown in numerous examples in the book) but I don’t think that every police officer should be blamed for crimes/racial profiling that some officers commit. Never the less, Just Mercy does bring up some critical issues that need to be solved in America. We need change in this country, we need to help those around us instead of throwing them in a cold metal cell.